Purdue offers matching funds for named professorships

February 20, 2012

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue University President France A. Córdova has unveiled The Faculty Fund for Excellence, an initiative designed to endow new professorships.

"One of the goals of our strategic plan has been to increase the number of distinguished and named professorships we are able to offer our faculty," Córdova said. "With the generosity of our donors, we will accomplish that with this program."

The program will raise private gifts that will be matched by up to $7.25 million in university funds designated for faculty investment. Gifts from $750,000 to $1 million will be matched dollar for dollar. The program could total $14.5 million for new distinguished and named professorships.

"Named and distinguished professorships offer a way for the university to recognize contributions by faculty to their areas of expertise," said Timothy D. Sands, Purdue's executive vice president for academic affairs and provost, and also the Basil S. Turner Professor of Engineering. "They allow us to recruit, reward and retain professors who excel in teaching and research."

The university currently has 190 named and distinguished professorships.

"The number of endowed professorships is one indication of a university's prestige and an important way to recognize the significant work of its faculty," said Beverly Davenport Sypher, vice provost for faculty affairs. "We have many extraordinary faculty whose work will be enhanced because of the funds made possible by these donors."

Gifts can be for professorships in any university college or school. Because the matching funds are not restricted, the donor will have sole rights to name the associated professorship, including in memory of, or in honor of, another individual.

For more information, contact the Purdue Development Office at 765-494-2727, toll-free at 800-677-8780 or by email at gifts@purdue.edu.